Show notes
Japan’s school lunch system is often regarded as one of the best in the world. How do they do it!? What are the nutrition standards? Is it free? We’ll answer all these questions and more on a little deep dive into the national school lunch program, and compare it a bit to our home country of the US.From the looks of it, the American school lunch program is a lawless land, but what kind of standards do they actually have? And we’ll chat briefly about other countries besides Japan that have excellent school lunch systems.Got questions or want to share your story? Send us an email at [email protected] - @franklinthewomanCheyenne - @lostwithlowWords mentioned/useful words給食 kyushoku - school lunchReferences/sources:What is the school lunch law in Japan?https://www.spainexchange.com/faq/what-is-the-school-lunch-law-in-japanLunch in Japanese Schoolshttps://education.jnto.go.jp/en/school-in-japan/school-life-in-japan/lunch-in-japanese-schools/ School Lunches Using Local Specialty Ingredients Hit Hard by High Prices; Increased Costs Make Serving Special Dishes Difficulthttps://japannews.yomiuri.co.jp/society/general-news/20250706-268084/Food Allergies and Dietary Restrictions in Japanhttps://blog.gaijinpot.com/food-allergies-and-dietary-restrictions-in-japan/School Lunch Programs: A 2025 Update on Past and Presenthttps://www.publicschoolreview.com/blog/school-lunch-programs-a-2025-update-on-past-and-presentFree School Lunches Provided in 30% of Japanese Municipalitieshttps://www.nippon.com/en/japan-data/h02220/#:~:text=As%20of%20September%201%2C%202023%2C%20547%20municipalities,elementary%20and%20junior%20high%20schools%20are%20eligibleThe Best School Lunches Around the Worldhttps://ghspomegranate.com/5395/features/the-best-school-lunches-around-the-world/#:~:text=Japan:%20The%20Japanese%20school%20lunch,lacks%2C%20is%20free%20school%20lunchUPDATE about the free lunches: https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/12/18/japan/ruling-bloc-komeito-school-meal/#:~:text=Ruling%20bloc%20and%20Komeito%20agree,continue%20talks%20on%20the%20matter.Fun videos to watch: Life where I’m from: https://youtu.be/fze5s1SlqB8?si=7A3DwkpbZlw_sR01Paolo from Tokyo: https://youtu.be/j9xYsUPoQVs?si=nP5a491o161zdMpaJapanese food craftsmen: https://youtu.be/dnBA3QD8xFs?si=LkqlyfMACIyBh2aWSchool lunch around the world: https://youtu.be/pD9mk0Y_pyo?si=C16PB7QPbJ9BWM5uCafCu media: https://youtu.be/hL5mKE4e4uU?si=M3Ng6KpuHE8zRoaVTime stamps00:00 happy new year/chat04:17 school lunches07:21 laws, regulations, nutrition standards11:55 allergies and restrictions17:38 how much do teachers pay for school lunch?18:17 how kids get involved with lunch28:33 how does the US compare?39:51 other countries with great lunch programs